West Nile attacking more than usual in the Natural State

Avoid those mosquito bites. Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) officials say it’s the best way to prevent the West Nile virus disease, which is hitting the state more than usual.

Forty-two states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds or mosquitoes so far in 2012. The 241 cases include four deaths and is the highest number of cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the end of July since 2004.

According to ADH, the majority of the cases, 80 percent, are in Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma while Arkansas has reported six cases in June and July. In 2011, the state only had one case of West Nile virus.

“It is not clear why we are seeing more activity than in recent years,” Susan Weinstein, the state public health veterinarian at ADH, said. “Regardless of the reasons for the increase, people should be aware we have West Nile virus in our state and take action to protect themselves and their family from mosquitoes.”

Ed Barham, the ADH spokesperson, said the cases have generally been in the southeastern portion of the state, although that can be misleading since mosquitoes can be found all over the state thus making the virus a threat for all Arkansans.

The message is being heard, Arkansas County Health Unit Administrator Wanda Vester said. She added that the unit has not received as many calls concerning the West Nile virus disease as they did several years ago when it first became an issue.

“We’re learning to live with it and become proactive,” she said.

The West Nile virus is a seasonal epidemic and, in the United States, most people are infected from June through September with a peak in mid-August. It is most often transmitted to people through infected mosquitoes and, in a very small number of cases, the CDC said it also has been spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and even during pregnancy from mother to baby.

Daniel Massingale, the City of Stuttgart Mosquito Control director, said the city’s mosquito count has been less than 500 for all of its seven traps this year, although it is up when the city receives rain. It is a decrease from past years. Last year, there was a spike with a 2,000 count for all traps.

While there is a risk and chance of getting an infection, Massingale said it is a limited risk for exposure in Stuttgart since the number of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile vector is very low.

Massingale said the city’s mosquitoes mostly come from the surrounding rice fields while the mosquitoes with the West Nile vector typically are the ones bred in the backyard environment. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, best in weedy ponds and stagnant water collected in ditches, fields or containers. They require water for just four to 14 days to mature, but sometimes longer in cold water, according to the University of California Mosquito Research Program (UCMRP).

People infected typically develop symptoms between three and 14 days after they are bitten by an infected mosquito. Vester said symptoms can appear flu-like.

The CDC reports that approximately 80 percent of those infected will show no symptoms, although up to 20 percent will have milder symptoms lasting from a few days to several weeks, such as fever, headache and body aches, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.

About one in 150 people infected will develop serious symptoms lasting several weeks, such as high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.

According to the ADH, people over the age of 50 and those with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and organ transplants are at greater risk for serious illness.

To prevent the West Nile virus disease, Vester said residents should drain standing water from their yards and avoid going out at dusk and dawn without protective clothing. She also recommends using insect repellents, which ADH says should have the active ingredient DEET.

According to UCMRP, the best mosquito prevention is to prevent or eliminate any wastewater standing for more than four days, keep weeds down around ponds, in ditches and in shallow wetlands and to irrigate properly so that all surface water is gone within four days.

There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent the West Nile virus infection. According to the ADH, those infected “with milder illnesses typically recover on their own, although symptoms may last for several weeks.

“In most severe cases, patients often need to be hospitalized to receive supportive treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain medication and nursing care,” the ADH reported. “Anyone who has symptoms that cause concern should contact a health care provider.”